


Through the Looking Glass

by Grelle



Series: Eden [2]
Category: Psycho Break / The Evil Within, The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Ruvik isn't actually evil, Stefano isn't evil either, Suicidal Main Character, Villians being a loose term due to situations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grelle/pseuds/Grelle
Summary: “Ru...vik...friend...” Jasper rasped in a quiet voice, smiling a little, closing his eyes and leaning into that gentle touch. The other man said nothing, just watched the brunette, feeling a sense of guilt and fondness. “Yes. And I won’t let you be lost to this hell…”He tasted freedom, but only for a moment. When he fails to save his favorite subject from the clutches of his tormentors, Ruvik is forced headlong into another STEM to try and save him. The only problem is MOBIUS is keeping tabs on him, being sure he doesn't 'awaken' and start trouble. They believed they had successfully erased his memories. But their dead wrong, Ruvik is biding his time. Laying low, going along with the false life they set up for him in Union. The town is perfect in every sense of the word; no bad weather, everyone seems nice, no shortage of jobs, no one seems to have any problems at all. Or so it seems.But is it a ticking time bomb?
Relationships: Ruben "Ruvik" Victoriano/Original Character(s)
Series: Eden [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052252
Kudos: 2





	Through the Looking Glass

Jasper felt like he was adrift, his head felt foggy as he slowly got to his feet in a daze. Lifting his hands into view he saw rusted barbed wire wrapped around his forearms, appearing to be coming out of the wounds in his arms. A strange sound left his lips as he stumbled forward, lowering his arms. The only firm thought in his mind was that he needed to reach Beacon, find Leslie and Ruvik. He passed some of the other Lost, but they didn’t seem to notice him anymore. Glancing into the mostly intact glass of a store front he realized it was because he looked like them, starring a long time at himself. 

_ ‘They...wouldn’t even...recognize me…’ _

The brunette stumbled onward, through the rubble and carnage of the ruined city. Reaching Beacon, passing through the front doors into the blood soaked lobby. He turned his head toward the hall to the left, making his way toward his old cell. The world wavered a moment, signaling Ruvik’s arrival, hazel eyes lifting to see the scared man. Pale eyes looked over the brunette, lifting a hand to lay on his head, “It’s almost over...Just a little longer…”

“Ru...vik...friend...” Jasper rasped in a quiet voice, smiling a little, closing his eyes and leaning into that gentle touch. The other man said nothing, just watched the brunette, feeling a sense of guilt and fondness. “Yes. And I won’t let you be lost to this hell…”

Jasper shot up with a gasp, a cold sweat across his too pale skin as his hazel green eyes stared forward as if he’d seen a ghost. Except, that as quickly as he’d felt this strange sense of fear and pain, it was over; Leaving confusion in its wake. He couldn’t recall the dream, only the strange feelings fading quickly from his mind as he stretched and yawned. Standing up from his couch, realizing he’d foolishly fallen asleep there again. Another all-nighter trying to come up with a new song, though it had nothing to do with work. Since he worked at the gas station across town and all, it was just something that eased the ever troubled feeling in his heart that he couldn’t shake. 

It started about six months ago, he woke in his bed next to his wife feeling like something was wrong. Like something was amiss, but unable to figure out what it was. She complained a lot about it, his all-nighters, how he was becoming distant and not like the man she married. He could only just recall the wedding, funny thing was he could swear he’d married a man! Not that he’d tell Mary such a thing, she’d called him crazy or delusional. The worst part was knowing, somewhere deep down, he’s suddenly fallen out of love with her. He felt like he didn’t really know here, but maybe it was in his head? 

Sighing heavily, he picked up his violin and bow, walking over to the open window and leaning on the seal as he looked up at the lightning sky. Admiring the blue, purple and pink of the morning, getting a strange sense of nostalgia. It was about now, like every morning for the past six weeks, that his next door neighbor began to play the piano. It was always at the same time, the same song, in the second story window across from the one he now stood in. Claire De Lune drifted into the early morning air, drawing a small smile to Jasper’s lips as he turned his gaze to the blonde seated at that piano. Lifting his violin to accompany the tune in perfect sink, like a well practiced play or an oiled machine they played those six odd minutes together as if nothing else existed but them and that moment.

They’d never physically spoken to each other, no contact was ever made except for the music and the occasional glances they would exchange. And the brunette wouldn’t lie, couldn’t if he was asked out right, he was in love with this stranger. Those piecing golden eyes seemed to look right into his soul and he couldn’t help but feel as if the other man somehow knew him. Really and truly  _ knew  _ him.

And just as quickly the moment was over, he was lowering his violin and lifting his hazel green eyes to the blonde. Trying desperately to hold onto the moment, that singular second of peace, but Mary chose now to speak as she entered his study. “I see you were up all night again.” She grumbled, an annoyed sigh leaving her as she sat his coffee cup on the desk near him, “Hurry up, you’ll be late to work if you don’t move it.”

The brunette nodded, sighing heavily as he ignored the coffee, he didn’t like it black and it seemed like Mary always fixed it that way. He’d once insisted he hated it so bitter, but then she turned around and argued.  _ ‘You’ve always taken it like this.’ _

Just one more thing he couldn’t recall, something that felt off. “Of course dear.” He replied calmly, putting the violin in its case and taking it with him to their bedroom to change, grabbing his work apron, before heading off. He always walked to work, at least these days, driving felt...frightening. It was like every time he got behind the wheel of their small car he was going to get sucked under a bigger one and die, yet another thing he couldn’t place or understand the apparently sudden fear of.

Arriving to work he placed his violin out of the way under the counter, putting on the apron and setting to work making breakfast sandwiches and other such things for the community in a hurry. Rubbing his face tiredly at once point, only to pull on a quick mask of chipperness when the bell over the front door opened, “Good morning!” 

He greeted his first customer, having a short but pleasant enough chat before exchanging their money for their meal and biding them a good day. This was the routine most the morning, same people, same ‘Good Mornings’ and ‘How are you’s?’. It was simple, but boring. Nothing interesting ever seemed to happen in Union, but that was the draw to living there right? Everything here was perfect. 

The weather. The people. The prices. The homes. Nothing bad ever happened. Nothing out of routine. Jasper hated it, despised the repetition. It felt stagnant. Wrong, all of it.

“Pardon me, could I get an espresso? Or does no one in this stagnant pool of fools serve anything worth having?” The brunette looked up slowly, caught off guard by the clearly Italian accent. It was new, a refreshing change of the moment. He smiled at the raven man in the blue suit, “Sure thing, just give me a moment.” Jasper happily set to work making the man’s drink, glad to make something besides plain coffee, “We don’t get a lot of requests for anything besides black coffee. Are you new to Union?” 

The stranger cocked his head, “Yes and I find it to be in dreadfully poor taste. There is no passion here!” 

“Haha~ I can’t argue. Nothing here ever changes. But it’s nice to see a new face. Here, it’s on the house today!” The raven smiled lightly, taking the drink in his hands, “Grazie~ Do you have a name?” The stranger asked as he took a sip, watching the brunette glance at the clock as he removed his apron and hung it on the hook by the office door. “Jasper, it's a pleasure to meet you-?”

“Stefano.” He drew out the syllables of his name, though the shorter man couldn’t decide if it was simply his accent or if he was trying to insure he was understood. “I like it, sounds artsy.” The raven looked far too pleased by this statement and opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off when Jasper’s relief arrived. “Kevin, on time. Like always.” Jasper plucked his violin from under the counter and came around, smiling at Stefano briefly, “You were saying?”

“I was going to say I am an artist. I can see you are as well?” The raven nodded to the instrument case, walking beside the brunette as he stepped out into the warm sunlight. “Yeah, I guess. It’s more of a hobby really. What sort of art do you do?” He asked politely, curious all the same. Stefano smiled excitedly, “Photography mostly, but I’m far as a sculpture! I’m actually looking to open a gallery here soon, but I’m struggling to find a building to rent that I like.”

“Oof~ Yeah? Good luck, you could remodel a place? Y’know I have a neighbor whose a decent painter, if you like I can introduce you? He’s kind of eccentric, but he’s really sweet.”

“That sounds fantastic, grazie!”

Jasper nodded, stirring in that direction as they chatted about the town and lack of interesting things to do there. The brunette laughed at something the raven said. This sudden feeling, like walking through chilled molasses, overtook him. Hazel green eyes turned to his left, getting this sudden sense that he was in danger, feeling like someone was right behind them. But when he looked there was nothing there and the feeling evaporated, almost completely. The hair on the back of his neck was still on end as he quickly turned back to Stefano and laughed awkwardly, apologizing.

“It is quite alright. As I was saying, back in New York my art wasn’t really taking off like I’d hoped, so I thought I might try something a little...Different here.” Jasper didn’t see it, the way the raven looked back. The devilish smirk on his face as his blue eye locked with honey gold. Didn’t feel the threatening energy exchanged between them, like wolves silently fighting over the same prey. He was blissfully unaware of the chaos his life was about to become.


End file.
